by Mantius Cazaubon
(Saint Lucia)
How To Write a Song on Guitar
Fellow songwriter,
What are your best tips on the topic “How To Write a Song on Guitar”? Please share them here. Help an aspiring songwriter take his writing to a higher level. Thanks for your participation.
Comments for How To Write A Song on Guitar
Please read!!!
I think You should just relax and play what you can
,get a tune.Then write the lyrics depending in the tune you made.But make sure you remember the tune otherwise there will be no point,will there?
Not unless you decide to make another one up.
Variety is the spice of life!
Firstly if your just strumming a guitar then learn some new chords!! Adding some extended chords to your vocabulary will instantly spice up your songwriting. You’re not going to hear a jazz song that contains simple triad progressions….
Also when coming to the writing of the actual music there are so many different techniques you can take into account. Writing in different keys is an easy way to get out of a songwriting rut if you feel you are constantly treading the same water…. Harmonic possibilities such as the cycle of fifths, using secondary dominant chords, chromatic voice leading ideas within the melody…. The list goes on and on. I would recommend reading some articles on classic songwriting/songwriters (The Beatles, Stevie Wonder etc…)
All in all it boils down to trying to do something a bit different each time you write a song. Obviously there are times when a song calls for simplicity but there are no rules stopping you from trying something different…
go for a long walk
If you’re in a rut just go for a good long walk, don’t think about music or songs for a while, but the beat of your walking will soon loosen up some ideas and they will begin to flow. You’ll get some lines and maybe a good chorus or two. Now the big problem -keeping the feel of the song in your head until you can get it recorded in some way, but that’s for somebody else to answer, I just keep humming till I get to my pc’s recording program and then do a rough mix on guitar.
easy
you know the words pop into my head and i think this is good i could make something out of this and you know something i do all the time you just need to think its not that hard
Use your experience
Listen to different types of music. Try to play along with everything in your collection. It will give you new chord structures to let your imagination flow. Use situations you know about to give you ideas. There are lots of songs that use “I” or “you” As a basis of the song. Look at alot of the long lasting songs. Alot of them use “we” or “they”. Try it out, tell a story. They are the ones that last. If you get frustrated, try writing two or three at the same time.
“Fortune favours the bold”.
trouble writing a song
can u guess please help i try writing a song but there just horrible and i don’t know what kind of beat and dont know how to write words so please help i have a gig in 1 week
i wish i had any instrument at home.
i had no instrument at home, man i need somebo0dy to me this situation is just am on my own trying to write songs, pls someone help out.
No instrument?
No instrument? Try using your hands to clap the beat, flamenco uses this all the time. Get along to open mike nights , try to hook up with people in the same boat. We all start somewhere… Click your fingers, whistle, hum, anything that makes a sound can be an instrument. Use your mobile to record and play back your ideas. No need to get frustrated! You are only competing with yourself. Put a finger in one ear to hear yourself sing (pro trick). If you feel blue, try writing a happy song, or comedy songs break the mood for me. Hope this helps. Happy to answer more questions as best I can. Music was around for a long time before we had instruments.
“fortune favours the bold”.
To eve
If you are stuck with the beats, try lots of different types with the same words. Blues, swing jazz, folk. Everything! Try writing random expressions of feelings on paper. You can use
These quotes in different songs and in any order you please. Try not to too self critical. Write fifty bad songs and one good one! Keep going!
“fortune favours the bold”
top advice
falling in love will inspire your best songs. write a song to tell your girlfriend/boyfriend how you feel about them. this will inspire your best work
(How to write a song on guitar) Listen
Whenever I face writers block, i listen to these artists: Hendrix, Page, Clapton, and Beck. All you have to do is listen to how they play, what they do, when they do it. Listen to little chord changes, fills, etc. Then go into a quiet place with no distractions and try to play one of their songs by memory of ear. After a while, you’ll notice that you aren’t playing the song at all, but you’ve created your own riff(s) that sound good because their influence is so strong in your head that you play patterns like them. And if you really want to get creative, try to combine parts from these artist. Ex: Clapton’s bluesy chorus riffs, Page’s Complicated Melodies, Hendrix’s Loud, twangy solos, and Jeff Beck’s preciseness and freeform. This is hard but the result is worth it.
how to write a song about love
how can i write a song about love and having a crush on a boy or about family members
Had a Few Ideas But still needs some help on it
I had a few lines of lyrics i really need some help for it,pls help me out?
www.reuvenwan@hotmail.com
Being yourself in a song.
As for me, when I write lyrics, I sit in a quiet place and don’t listen to any music, don’t have any songs in my head, but instead just start putting how I feel about something into words. One of the reasons I like this method is because we’re all different, and we all think differently. So when we write from our original and unique hearts, the song is original and unique! At first it’s kind of hard to open up your heart to it’s raw emotions, but like everything: once you do it for a while you’ll get the hang of it.
Many approaches (how to write a song on guitar)
It seems few people really get into the discussion of songwriting; how it’s done, lyrics first? Vocal melodies? Song structure? This leaves those of us doing the craft kind of on our own.
To me it’s a feel it out thing to start. I tend to find one musical phrase or chord progression on the guitar and build from there. A lot of guess work and incorporating some basic theory leads me to the next line of the song. However, if you get too theory based (example, 1 to 5 then to 6; a popular chord progression these days) then you won’t sound original and it likely won’t be heartfelt. Heartfelt music is key. If you don’t feel it, well, no one else will.
Find a way to hang on to ideas. I get mine in the car all the time. I’m thankful for my iphone. I can jot down notes really quick and also record voice memos; great function for a melody line. Just sing ‘blah blah blah’ if only to capture the melody. Do this for every idea. Eventually they will start to be useful.
The world is your inspiration so you should see everday life that way. Write down phrases, concepts, etc that you notice in day to day life. Songwriting is a 24 hour occupation so be careful not to let anything slip by you lest you find yourself thinking you have nothing to say. Not likely!
Lastly, look for inspiration, don’t just wait for it. It’s ok to borrow from other artists as long as it’s not stealing. You should follow your gut. you will know if you’re ripping someone off. However, a concept you hear in a song might lead you down your own path. Remember very little if anything is completely original so don’t be so hard on yourself trying to be absolutely unique.
Hope this has been helpful 🙂
Re: How to write a song on the guitar
Well, my method is basically to write down any catchy kind of lines immediately so I don’t forget them, and I keep a notebook with me for this purpose always at school and home and pretty much will usually base my whole song off of that one idea. And then add chords with the guitar, haha. Hope this helps! 🙂
Improvise
What I do when writing songs on the guitar and voice, I just chose some chords I like, or, if you don’t play chords, you can pick or anything to make the tune. Then keep playing it and improvising random stuff singing, and eventually you’ll get something you like. If you’ve got writer’s block, try looking at some of the other comment’s suggestions, like taking a walk.
Hope this helps!
Emma xx